ENGL2751: Shakespeare's History Plays

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• A thorough study of Shakespeares representations of Roman and English history.
• Familiarity with the history of ancient Rome, as well as the history of medieval and early modern England.

• We will begin with Shakespeares four Roman plays: Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, and Antony and Cleopatra.
• We will then turn to Shakespeare's first and second tetralogies, detailing the history of late medieval England and the Wars of the Roses: Henry VI, parts 1-3 and Richard III, followed by Richard II, Henry IV, parts 1 and 2, and Henry V.
• We will also look at three other works of historical interest: Shakespeare's King John, his collaboration with John Fletcher, Henry VIII, and his epyllion, The Rape of Lucrece.
• We will read Shakespeare's plays in coordination with Holinshed's Chronicles and Plutarch's Lives, as well as analogues such as Samuel Daniel's Cleopatra and Mary Sidney's translation of Robert Garnier's Marc-Antoine.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• On completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of Shakespeares representation of Roman and English history, as well as his most important classical, medieval, and contemporary sources. Students will develop a richer sense of Shakespeares perspective as a historian and how it compares to present-day historians interpretations of the events he represents in his plays.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students studying this module will develop:
• an ability to analyse selected literary works, taking account of their historical, generic and social or religious contexts
• critical skills in the close reading and analysis of texts
• an ability to demonstrate knowledge of a range of texts and critical approaches
• informed awareness of formal and aesthetic dimensions of literature and ability to offer cogent analysis of their workings in specific texts
• sensitivity to generic conventions and to the shaping effects on communication of historical circumstances, and to the affective power of language
• an ability to articulate and substantiate an imaginative response to literature
• an ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories relating to literary studies
• skills of effective communication and argument
• awareness of conventions of scholarly presentation, and bibliographic skills including accurate citation of sources and consistent use of scholarly conventions of presentation
• command of a broad range of vocabulary and an appropriate critical terminology
• awareness of literature as a medium through which values are affirmed and debated

Key Skills:

• Students studying this module will develop:
• a capacity to analyse complex texts critically
• an ability to acquire complex information of diverse kinds in a structured and systematic way involving the use of distinctive interpretative skills derived from the subject
• competence in the planning and execution of essays
• a capacity for independent thought and judgement, and ability to assess the critical ideas of others
• skills in critical reasoning
• an ability to handle information and argument in a critical manner
• information-technology skills such as word-processing and electronic data access information
• organisation and time-management skills

• The module is taught through seminars, which encourage collective responsiveness through interactive discussion as well as the development of independent, individual thought.
• The consultation session with the seminar leader before the first essay allows for further, guided exploration of individual ideas and arguments.
• Assessed essays give students the opportunity for focused independent study, permitting them to explore their own ideas and insights as well as demonstrating a requisite knowledge of the subject.
• The written feedback that is provided after the first assessed essay allows students to reflect on examiners' comments, giving students the opportunity to improve their work for the second essay.
• Typically, directed learning may include assigning student(s) an issue, theme or topic that can be independently or collectively explored within a framework and/or with additional materials provided by the tutor. This may function as preparatory work for presenting their ideas or findings (sometimes electronically) to their peers and tutor in the context of a seminar.

Before the first essay, students will have an individual consultation session in which they are entitled to show their seminar leader a list of points relevant to the essay and receive oral comment on these points. Students may also, if they wish, discuss their ideas for the second essay at this meeting.

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